Issue - meetings

To receive a briefing on the Government’s 2020 Housing Delivery Test and Enfield’s draft Housing Action Plan  (Action Plan to follow)

The scrutiny panel received a presentation on the Government’s Housing Delivery Test from Joanne Drew (Director of Housing and Housing Regeneration).  A briefing paper on the delivery test had been circulated with the agenda. 

To note that the draft housing action plan was not available for this meeting as it was still in the process of being finalised.   

1.            Presentation

·         The Local Plan will set out the long-term vision for good quality housing growth, delivery and supply in the borough.

·         The briefing note circulated with the agenda contains information on the Government’s Housing Delivery Test and how Enfield as a place has performed against this test. 

·         Enfield has delivered an average 56% of the housing against the target over the last 3 years.  As Enfield has failed to meet 75% of their housing targets it has been placed in a category of “presumption in favour of sustainable development”.  Enfield is not alone, eight other boroughs are also in this situation. 

·         Many factors influence housing supply and many are outside the direct control of a local authority.

·         One way to address the need is to directly deliver housing, which the Council is doing through projects such as Meridian Water. 

·         Enfield needs to improve the planning process to make sure that it is as efficient and effective as possible.  They also need to play an enabling role, encouraging good quality proposals. 

·         The housing targets have recently been increased by 500 which means that housing delivery will have to be stepped up significantly. 

·         A new housing action plan is being developed in recognition of the actions that the Council will need to take to increase delivery.

·         There are seven key themes:  ensuring an effective development management process; continuing to embed housing growth and delivery as a key priority of the Council; an intelligence led approach to driving the right solutions; efficient local plan making and driving local supply through infrastructure; continuing to strengthen council led market interventions; proactively pursuing housing development through a range of providers; lobbying government to create the right conditions for development. 

·         Twenty three percent of the supply delivered to date has been as a result of council interventions. The Council role is increasingly important.  Current market conditions are very challenging.  It is also essential to work collaboratively with other sectors including housing associations. 

·         The Council needed to lobby government to create the right conditions for housing supply and provide viable substitutes to home ownership.  Affordable homes are not affordable to Enfield residents without huge discounts. 

·         The Council was also looking to bring empty homes back into use, and was working closely with the GLA on a recovery strategy following the pandemic. 

2.            Questions/Comments

2.1       There are currently 3,000 empty homes in Enfield.  The current target is to bring 60 back into use every year, through an empty homes strategy.  This can involve grants for capital investment which can be recouped through lettings.  Efforts need to be redoubled by applying enforcement techniques and through providing incentives.

2.2       The planning process  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4